


Bucky, Natasha and The Girls Trip

by elliott (amywaited)



Series: Bucky, Natasha and the '...' [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cute, Everyone loves Peter, One Shot, Outing, Weekend trip, bucky and peter are friends, bucky has fun, girls trip - Freeform, natasha and bucky are buds, we all do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 14:48:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13977378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amywaited/pseuds/elliott
Summary: natasha takes bucky, pepper, maria and peter to london for a weekend. everyone loves peter, and they finally discuss boys.





	Bucky, Natasha and The Girls Trip

**Author's Note:**

> enjoy it!

 

* * *

 

Natasha says “We should go on a weekend trip.”

Bucky turns to look at her from his spot on the couch, darting his eyes back to the TV screen (where its playing season two of Teen Wolf: Natasha’s newest obsession) periodically. “A what?”

“You know, take a long weekend off. Go to Paris, or Amsterdam or London. Do stupid tourist-y stuff and not worry about having to save the world for a bit. We deserve that.”

Bucky frowns. “Sure.” He doesn’t think he’s ever been to Paris or Amsterdam or London. Or at least, he can’t remember going to Paris or Amsterdam or London. 

“Great. We should invite Pepper, Maria and Peter too,” Natasha suggests. 

“Why Peter?” Bucky asks. “He’s like, eighteen. He probably sees us as his parents.”

“He would also  _ love  _ to go on a girls trip with us,” Natasha says. “Besides, he has a week off of school soon. We can go then. Leave Tony and Steve and everyone in charge and hope they don’t burn the tower down.”

“They wouldn’t burn it down,” Bucky snorts. “They’d knock it down.”

“I don’t think I really want to know how,” Natasha says. 

Bucky hums appreciatively. “No, you don’t.”

 

*

 

Natasha forces herself in between him and Steve at lunch the very next day. Steve looks mildly confused, but lets her and then only just manages to catch his cup of yogurt before it hits the floor. 

Natasha waves five plane tickets in Bucky’s face. “We leave in a week.”

“You what?” Steve asks. “What? Bucky?”

Bucky grins, ignoring Steve, and takes two of tickets from Natasha. “Awesome.”

“What?” Steve says again. 

“I hope you’re alright with planes and people,” Natasha says. “Because we’re doing this properly. But if they make you uncomfortable, I’ll just show them my Avengers ID and we’ll upgrade to first class.”

“Planes?” Steve says. He sounds like he’s about to faint. “What is going on?”

“Have you asked Peter?” Bucky asks. 

Natasha shakes her head. “Not yet. But he won’t say no.”

“What about Maria and Pepper?” 

“They’re all for it. They think its great, by the way, that you’re stepping out of your comfort zone.”

“Buck? Nat? Can someone explain?”

Bucky just grins at Steve. “I’m going to London.”

“You’re what? Are you sure you’re ready?” Steve asks, frowning,

“He’ll be fine,” Natasha says firmly. “I’ll be there, Peter Parker will be there, Pepper and Agent Hill will be there. At least three of us are fully capable of bringing him down if he reverts back to the Soldier, and if something goes wrong, then Pepper’s been taking Karate classes. And she did a crash course in panic attacks and anxiety. Everything is going to be fine.”

“See, Steve?” Bucky says. “I’ll be fine.”

 

*

 

Everything actually does go worryingly smoothly. Pepper and Peter both get a bit jittery at how un-dangerous everything is. Bucky is just glad that he doesn’t have a headache yet. 

Peter keeps marvelling over everything. Well, Bucky sort of is too. It is, admittedly, the first time he’s been in an actual, proper airport. Natasha and Hill both seem to be in their ‘no nonsense or death’ mindsets. Which would be a bit scary, but it does get them to their gate on time. That makes Pepper relax the teensiest bit. 

Peter, Bucky and Natasha wind up sitting together. Pepper and Maria are just behind them. Pepper keeps feeding fruit flavoured lollipops between their seats.

Peter keeps bouncing in his seat and trying to stare out the window at the wings and turbines. He does it so much that Bucky contemplates throwing one of Pepper’s lollipops at the teen’s head to knock him out. That would be counterproductive though, he decides, and settles for shoving a strawberries and cream flavoured ‘pop in Peter’s mouth in the hopes it’ll slow his chatter down.

(It doesn’t.)

 

*

 

Being stuck in a small chamber with recycled air for seven hours does make Bucky a bit claustrophobic. But in the end, Peter is a great help. He forces an earbud into Bucky’s ear, and makes them watch ‘Up’ (which Bucky absolutely does not cry at, thank you very much). 

The air hostess delivers some kind of meal half way through, which tastes as good as Bucky expected aeroplane food to taste. Peter steals his little pudding cup, and dips one of Pepper’s cherry flavoured lollipops into the chocolate mousse.

“Ew,” Bucky says.

Peter just shrugs, licking the chocolate off the candy.

They watch ‘Inside Out’ next, and Peter falls asleep on Bucky’s shoulder half way through. Natasha digs a fingernail into his shoulder, silently asking if he’s okay. Bucky gives her a minute nod.

There’s two hours of flight left, so Bucky leans his head back on the seat and closes his eyes. At some point, Hill or Pepper start playing with his hair, and he drifts away till he’s dozing.

 

*

 

Bucky wakes up as soon as they touch ground. So does Peter, and they both jerk awake and smile at one another (well, Peter grins. Bucky just turns up the corners of his lips a bit. But it counts.)

Natasha holds onto his forearm as they navigate through the airport, and Pepper holds Peter’s hand. One glare from Hill stops anyone coming up to any of the public for pictures, because apparently the Avengers and Stark Industries is big across the pond, too.

London is big. They get on a train (something vaguely familiar, thankfully) and get off at London Victoria. At least, that’s where Pepper says they are. She’s studying a map of the underground, and stuff it into her bag

“Come on. Lets get a cab,” she says, dragging Peter out of the station. Its all Bucky can do to follow. 

 

*

 

The cabbie, whilst looking slightly starstruck, drops them right outside the hotel Natasha booked. He drives off with a tip that would probably pay his rent for half a year.

The apartment type thing Natasha booked is all open, with the kitchen opening out into the lounge, and the lounge opening onto a dining table. There’s five bedrooms, and Peter immediately claims the middle on, the one with the biggest window. Natasha dumps her bag in the one nearest the door, and Bucky chooses the one between Natasha and Peter. He leaves his bags there before going to check the perimeter.

To the left of the front door if the living area. A three seater sofa and two armchairs cluster around a smallish coffee table. Mounted on the wall is a forty inch television. The bathroom is near, and inside is a shower bath combo, a toilet and a sink with a mirror on the wall behind it. The kitchen is surprisingly spacious, and stretches along the wall opposite the door. The refrigerator/freezer combo marks the end of the cabinets, and next to the fridge is a door that opens out onto a large balcony. It wraps around the building, exposing views of the city skyline with the sun setting. Not bad, he decides, poking his head out the front door to check for security cameras.

Bucky finds two of them, at either end of the corridor. He sits on the couch and pulls out his laptop, latching onto the camera signal and sending the data to his computer. Just in case. Natasha sees what he’s doing, and if she thought anything of it, she didn’t say anything.

Peter comes and flops next to Bucky, watching Hill fasten a pistol to the underside of the coffee table. Seems like they all have little routines, just in case. “This is awesome. I’m breathing British air right now,” Peter says. “Hey, look! Movies!” He bounces back up and bounds over to the little case under the TV with all the enthusiasm of a small puppy.

Pepper smiles at Peter. “C’mon,” she says, checking her watch. “Its about six. We should go find somewhere to eat. We can watch movies later."

“Alright, mom,” Peter grumbles, and it probably sounds more real then he meant it to. Pepper grins.

They all line up by the door, where Natasha and Maria both pack two guns onto their forms in such a way that they’re undetectable. Peter attaches his web shooters to his wrists, and Bucky tucks a sharp knife into his sock. Pepper is the only one who doesn’t don a weapon of sorts, but she does grin at the other four and Bucky decides that her smile is weapon enough.

 

*

 

Pepper hails them another cab (Bucky is confused. The cabs are black, not yellow. But it’s sort of nicer, and not as glaring on the eyes) and instructs the driver to take them to a ‘Wetherspoons’.

Wetherspoons, as it turns out, is a pub. They find seats soon enough, and Bucky shakes off all the awe-inspired stares. Which is harder than it looks, and he has new-found respect for Tony, having to grow up in the spotlight.

Peter tries to order a beer, and to his delight, gets given one.

Pepper smiles again and says, “The legal drinking age in the United Kingdom is eighteen.”   


“Thats it. I’m officially moving here,” Peter says.

Hill laughs. “Why not stay at home with your parents?”

“Nat will come with me,” Peter says, “Right, Nat?”

“I could be persuaded,” Natasha says. “I’d definitely visit, just to make sure you haven’t blown up the city.”

Bucky thinks London is a bit like New York. With black cabs, instead of yellow. And less alien invasions. It’s nice, he thinks, as he takes a bite of the battered fish Pepper ordered for him. 

 

*

 

They get back to the hotel, and Peter promptly flops face first on the sofa.

“Jet lag?” Natasha asks.

Peter grunts in confirmation.

Hill smiles. “We could watch a movie now.”

Peter sits up again so fast, it gives Bucky whiplash. “Movies?”

“Board games,” Bucky suggests, opening a cupboard, revealing a stack of dusty games

“Board games,” Natasha repeats. “Thats my vote. Pepper, be the tie breaker.”   


“This is a compromising position,” Pepper grumbles. “But I vote board games.”

Peter mutters something under his breath, but rolls off the couch to dig out a dusty old ‘Cluedo’ box from the cupboard. He sets up the game on the coffee table, and they all gather around to play.

Half way through the game, Peter’s phone rings. He glances at it, looks up apologetically and says “I should answer this. One sec.”

“Who is it?” Natasha asks.

Her question is answered when Peter pulls the phone away from his ear with a grimace and  _ “-Y LOVELY PUMPKIN COOKIE CAKE! _ ” broadcasts out of Peter’s speaker.

“Fucks sake, Wade,” Peter grumbles into the phone. “I like my ear drums, thank you very much. Why are you calling?”

“ _ Ooh! Are you around people? Whos is it? Put me on speaker! _ ”

“If you keep yelling I won’t need to put it on speaker,” Peter says, putting it on speaker anyway. “I’m with Natasha, Pepper, Maria Hill and Bucky.”   


“Is that Wade Wilson?” Hill asks.

Peter nods, and starts to speak before Wade interrupts. “ _ -It so is! Where are you? I went by the Tower but Iron Dad just frowned and said ‘No idea Wilson now get out of my face before I blow you up’. Why don’t they like me, Petey? Then I went to find Captain Dad and he said ‘Nice to see you Wade now please get out because I don’t like how you’re sucking my son’s dick-’ _ ”

“Wade!” Peter all but shrieks. “Shut up. Why were you looking for me?”

“ _ I got a pet! _ ”

“Are you sure you’re cut out for looking after an animal?” Peter asks doubtfully. “You can hardly look after yourself.”

“ _ I don’t need looking after. I can’t die. Besides, I look after you just fine, don’t I? _ ”

Peter blushes. Pepper laughs. “Couldn’t you have waited to tell me you got a pet?”

“ _ Hmm. Nope! It was an emergency, because I still need to name him and I don’t know what to name it _ .”

“What animal is it?” Bucky asks.

“ _ Good gracious, _ ” Wade says, “ _ I’m swooning, Petey. Bucky Barnes might name our pet _ .”

“Shut up, dickwad,” Peter says, laughing. “But what animal is it?”

_ “It’s a bearded dragon! _ ”

Peter chokes. “Um. What?”

“ _ Bearded dragon, Spides. Keep up _ ."

“Fuck off,” Peter says, with no real feeling. “Call it Dumbledore. Or Gandalf.”   


“Or get another one and call one Dumbledore and the other Gandalf,” Natasha suggests.

“Not helping, Nat,” Peter hisses.

_ “Good plan, Black Widow _ !” Wade cheers. “ _ Sorry, Baby Boy. I gotta blast off to Petco again. Where are you actually, though? _ ”

“London,” Peter says. “You could have traced my phone?”

_ “Last time I did that, you threatened to castrate me, _ ” Wade says.  _ “I don’t want to risk the Crown Jewels. Hah! Look, Queen jokes!” _

“I did threaten you with that,” Peter hums.

“You threatened to cut your boyfriend’s dick off?” Natasha asks. “Bad. Ass.”

Wade squeals.  _ “Hear that, Petey? The Black Widow thinks you’re bad ass! She says we’re boyfriends!” _ _  
_

“I did hear, Wade. I’m in the same room as her. Don’t,” Peter says, before Wade can, “Say anything. Or I really actually might cut your dick off. And maybe your head.”   


“ _ Do you think my dick would grow back though? _ ” Wade muses.

“Inappropriate,” Pepper murmurs. “It’s nine in the evening and I’ve two glasses of wine. I need at least five before I’m prepared for this conversation.”

“Sorry, Pepper,” Peter says. “Wade, stop being disgusting.”

“ _ Sorry, Ms Potts! _ ” Wade exclaims. “ _ Can I come visit? _ ”

“I’ll be home in three days,” Peter says. “Besides, you don’t have a plane ticket.”

“ _ Never said I needed one _ ,” Wade says. “ _ I’ll see you iiiiiiin _ ,” He pauses, “ _ Ten hours. Tops _ .”

“Fuck you, asshole,” Peter says, groaning.

“ _ Fuck you back, Petey _ !” Wade sing songs, and then hangs up.

“I am so sorry,” Peter says, locking his phone.

Hill bursts into laughter. “You and Wilson? Dating? Never would have expected it. Does he listen to you?”

“Yeah? I mean, he hasn’t killed anyone in two years. That’s how long we’ve been dating,” Peter says.

“You started dating when you were sixteen?” Pepper asks.

“Yep. And before you ask, my lovely overprotective friends, we didn’t do anything but kiss before my eighteenth birthday.”

“I am definitely not drunk enough for this,” Pepper says.

 

*

 

They go sight seeing the next day.

Pepper leads them all around London. Bucky sticks close to Natasha and Maria (because they’s the two most likely to be able to take him down if he reverts back to Winter Soldier).

Peter demands that Pepper takes a picture of him and Bucky on a lion in Trafalgar Square. Pepper convinces another tourist to take a picture of the five of them on a lion. Peter sits at the front, with Natasha behind him, and Bucky behind Natasha. Hill stands to the left of the lion, and Pepper to the right and Bucky smiles so widely it hurts.

The picture makes them look like some sort of happy family, which makes Bucky’s heart tingle. Then someone starts yelling at them that “You’re not supposed to sit on the lions! Get off!”

Then they just sit on the concrete, and stare at Nelson’s Column. Peter leans into Bucky’s side, and Pepper leans into Peter. Hill snaps another picture of the three of them, and Bucky smiles again.

*

 

Pepper takes them to Big Ben next, and gets tourists to take another picture of the five of them next to it. 

“It’s just a big clock with a name,” Bucky says. “What’s the deal?”

“The clock isn’t Big Ben. Its actually the bell,” Peter says. “Besides, its in the Sherlock intro. This is the closest I’ll get to pretending I’m Holmes. You can be my Watson,” He tells Hill, who grins.

“I think if anyone’s more like Watson, its me,” Pepper says.

“You can be Molly,” Peter decides.

“Isn’t Tony more like Sherlock?” Natasha says. “Looks a bit like him, too.”

“So does Stephen Strange,” Peter counters. “But I’m being Sherlock today. Bucky can be Lestrade.”   


“Thanks, Pete,” Bucky says.

“Who am I, then?” Natasha asks.

Peter ponders for a moment. “Mrs Hudson?” He says, somewhat shyly. “Or maybe Eurus.”

“Isn’t Eurus Sherlock’s sister?” Natasha says. “She kills people, right? I like her.”

“Satan,” Peter breaths, staring at her with wide eyes.

Pepper bursts into peals of laughter, which prompts Hill, and then Natasha and Peter. Bucky laughs too, after ten seconds of watching the others.

 

*

 

They go to the London Eye after getting sandwiches from a nearby Starbucks for lunch. Peter expresses honest-to-God shock by the embarrassingly smaller menu (how does England cope without cinnamon roll frappuccinos?).

Bucky doesn’t say a word while he stands on the Eye. Natasha stands next to him, holding onto his upper arm. Pepper and Maria are both distracted by Peter, who appears to have gotten suddenly, inexplicably excited.

The reason for Peter’s excitement is clear when they disembark the Eye. Wade is waiting for them, grinning.

“Wade, you idiot,” Peter says, before he runs over to hug him.

Pepper, Bucky, Natasha and Maria follow behind at a slower pace. Pepper laughs when Peter punches Wade’s nose. Wade grins too.

“What are you doing here?” Peter asks.

“Said I’d come, didn’t I?” Wade shrugs. “Right, but listen to this, honey bunch. I ran into someone on my way here -”

“A work friend?” Peter frowns.

“You could say that. Got a contract from him nearly four years ago. Anyway, bumped into him. He didn’t know me, but it was so funny. I kept acting like I knew him. Well, I did know ‘im, but he kept frowning and trying to get away. I was just sayin’ ‘Jimmy! So good to see you!’ On repeat.”

“You were harassing him?”

“Nah, Spidey. Just saying hi. Promise!” Wade says at Peter’s sceptical look.

“Afternoon, Wilson,” Natasha says, brushing her hand over Peter’s upper arm in a way that was painfully protective.

“Good day, my lady Widow!” Wade exclaims, turning so he give Natasha his full attention. Peter grabs onto Wade’s hand, and Natasha doesn’t miss it.

“Wade, this is Hill and Pepper and Bucky. I don’t think you’ve met,” Peter introduces. “Hill, please don’t lock my boyfriend up in a SHIELD cell. He’d only escape and embarrass Director Fury.”   


“Nice to meet you, Wade,” Pepper says, pulling him into a hug. Wade’s hands flutter around behind her back, as if he doesn’t quite know how to react when someone hugs him. The only person he seems properly comfortable around is Peter, and Bucky frowns.

Hill just gives him a cold nod. Then, to Peter, “unless he does something that warrants getting locked up in a cell, he’s all good.”

Bucky half smiles at him. He wasn’t, you know, mentally prepped to meet a new person today, and London streets were busy.

“Do you think he’ll be able to stay with us tonight?” Peter asks Pepper.

Pepper smiles and nods. “I don’t see why not.”   


Peter turns to Wade with a grin. “No need to sleep under a bridge, see? Told you she’d say yes.”

“I’d have been fine sleeping under a bridge,” Wade scoffs. “Done it loadsa times. Sometimes with a train.”   


“Nope,” Peter says, bringing his hands up to cover his ears. “Please don’t. I thought we agreed that was one of the things we don’t talk about?”

Wade looks instantly apologetic. “Sorry, sweetums. Forgot myself for a moment. Yellow and White are being  _ distracting _ ,” He says the last part with an upward glance.

Peter frowns. “Want me to say something?”

“Mind clueing us in, Pete?” Natasha asks, watching the exchange.

“My brain’s gone to mush,” Wade says. Then he grimaces. “Ew. White is being immensely inappropriate.”

Peter squeezes Wade’s hand then leans up on his tiptoes. “White, Yellow,” he says firmly.

“Standing to attention,” Wade relays.”

“Be quiet for a bit, okay?” Peter continues.

Wade visibly sags in relief. “Thanks, sugar. You have no idea how crazy they get. I’m just glad they listen to you, you know? Now, what’s next?”

“I’m glad they listen to me too,” Peter says, leaning up to kiss Wade’s cheek. He rests his chin on Wade’s shoulder. “And yeah, what next?”

Pepper hums, pulling out a tourist map. “We could go to Oxford Street? Do a bit of souvenir shopping?”

“Ooh! Do I get to get a little double decker bus?!” Wade exclaims.

Peter giggles and jumps up onto Wade’s back. “If you so wish.”

“I do so wish,” Wade says, seriously. “How do we get there?”

 

*

 

After a very awkward train ride (apparently, riding the tube with two fifths of the Avengers, the CEO of Stark Industries, Steve Rogers’ best friend, a slightly intimidating man draped over a teenager, and quite possibly the most terrifying woman to ever live attract quite a bit of attention), Pepper leads them to a busy street. Bucky feels instantly overwhelmed.

Natasha instantly pulls his hand into hers and whispers “Is this okay? Wanna go back?”

Bucky shakes his head, because he’s distracted watching Peter and Wade. They act like Steve and Tony do sometimes,  and he’s never seen Peter laugh so much in so little time. Wade seems more Wade and less Deadpool around Peter too, and Bucky knows how much that puts Hill at ease.

“Cute, aren’t they?” Natasha says, following his gaze. “I’ve been planning a shovel talk since Peter answered his call.”

Bucky chuckles. The streetlights are all turned on, and Wade keeps pretending to throw Peter onto one. Peter squeals, laughs and then digs his fingers into Wade’s cheeks each time. “Maybe we’ll get to give one.”

“Shovel talk?” Hill says, wandering over. She’s watching them too. “Maybe. I think Pepper’s the best at those.”

“Pepper’s the best at everything, obviously,” Pepper says, “I have to be, or else Tony’s company would have crashed and burned by now. But what am I the best at this time?” She has a soft smile on her face, and her tired eyes look more alive then they did before they came. She looks happy, Bucky realizes, and relaxed. As relaxed as one can get whilst watching an ex-mercenary pretend to throw his half-spider boyfriend twenty five feet in the air.

“Shovel talks,” Hill says. “We’re discussing whether we’ll need to give one later.”

“Can’t hurt, can it?” Natasha says.

“I think Wade wouldn’t hurt him,” Bucky says. “It looks like they’re properly in love.”

“And he can talk to Yellow and White, whatever they are,” Pepper says. Peter is now hanging onto the lamp post, swinging, while Wade watches with his hands over his eyes. 

“Maybe we can talk to them later. Just let Wade know that we all care very much about Peter,” Pepper says.

“This is probably why you run the company, Potts,” Natasha says. “Level headed and good at dispelling arguments.”

“And Tony couldn’t tie his shoes without you,” Hill says. They all laugh, including Bucky.

 

*

 

Wade gets his little double decker bus. He keeps driving it up and down Peter’s arm (which makes walking down the street hard, because Peter is required to keep his arm out straight and Wade keeps walking into things). 

Pepper pulls them into a ‘Nando’s’, and assures Bucky that its just chicken, nothing weird. Wade and Peter have barely seperated all evening.

The meal is good, Pepper is right. Nothing weird. Natasha and Hill sit next to one another, discussing guns or battle tactics or something that is definitely not dinner table appropriate. Wade and Peter rarely join conversation, instead talking to each other. Wade seems to be doing most of the talking. When Bucky tunes into the conversation, it sounds something like this:

“- then I said, ‘the heck you doin’ in my space, man?’ and this girl, the one with the neon pink dress, that one, goes ‘this is Earth, dude, how high are you?’ And then I say ‘high as an elephant’-”

“High as a giraffe,” Peter corrects.

“Giraffes? Holy shit, Petey, I think I want one. With their super duper long necks. Imagine how much easier fire fighters would have it if they each had a personal giraffe?” 

“What about personal sword fish?” 

“Whew, baby boy, playing the sword fish card already? That’s just cold, my jar of Nutella. Boiling cold. Can you boil cold? Will you do your magicky science thing and boil cold?”

So Bucky tunes them back out, and instead talks to Pepper (who is probably the most ordinary of the lot of them). Its refreshing. She puts her hand on his forearm every so often, and talks about things that don’t need an answer. She tells him about how much fun she’s having, and how nice it is to get away from being CEO and all the “sexist assholes who think I’m just a pair of incompetent breasts”.

Bucky offers “I’ll come and beat anyone up who thinks that for you. Thinking ofa dame like that is disgustin’.” And maybe his Brooklyn accent comes out a bit.

Pepper blushes and giggles. “I do already have a security guy, but thank you, Bucky.”

Bucky smiles back, and then Pepper starts talking about how she had the most amazing sushi last week, and Bucky, do you like sushi?

 

*

 

Peter falls onto the couch almost as soon as they get back.

“Tired?” Natasha asks, raising her eyebrows. “And it can’t still be jet lag.”

“Tourist-ing is exhausting, Nat. Exhausting.”   


“Aren’t you supposed to have buckets of energy, Spider boy?” Pepper teases.

“Probably,” Peter groans.

“C’mon, shove up, then,” Wade says, nudging Peter’s legs until he moves them, and then lifting Peter into his lap. “Here,” Wade deposits a tub of what looks like radioactive candy in Peter’s lap.

“You can get these here?” Peter asks, sounding amazed.

“Pulled some strings,” Wade shrugs, “It’s nothing. You said they were your favourite.”

“They are my favourite,” Peter says. He opens the candy, grinning. “Thank you, darling.”

Wade grins. “You are ultra welcome, baby boy.”   


“Ultra welcome?” Peter frowns. “What happened to super welcome?”

“Well, ultra welcome is more than super welcome,” Wade says. “Like how ultra love you is more than super love you.”

Peter giggles. “Well, I ultra love you.”

 

*

 

Peter falls asleep on top of Wad on the couch. Bucky debates lifting Peter off and taking him into his room, but Wade does it for him, smiling down at Peter like a lovesick puppy.

They come to the unanimous decision that no shovel talk is needed.

 

*

 

Hill drags them all out to tour two of the museums the next day. She’s decided on the Natural History Museum, and the British Science Museum. Peter is exceptionally excited about the Science Museum.

They go to the Science Museum first, as per Peter’s request. He tracks down one of the workers and starts pelting them with questions. Thankfully, he chose one who genuinely knew what Peter was asking about (and seemed happy to answer every question). 

Pepper made sure to grip tight to Peter’s arm the entire time, though, which Bucky found pretty adorable. Natasha stuck close to his side, fingers brushing his metal arm every now and then. Wade kept a hold of Peter’s hand, on the side Pepper wasn’t on, and Hill darted between Peter and Bucky. It was nice, in a way that made Bucky feel inexplicably welcome.

Peter spends a while in the space section, running back and forth and almost into people as he stares up at the rocket ships. Wade only just manages to stop him in time, and then it’s decided that Peter needs at least one form of supervision at all times. Pepper opts for the job.

Then Hill says, “Nuh uh, Potts. I want in on seeing Parker all crazy scientist too.”

Natasha says, “I want to watch him too.”

Bucky sighs. “I’ll watch out for him. You three stay here and cat fight.”

They’re so distracted that none of them notice him wander over to Peter and Wade and brush an arm over Peter’s shoulder. Bucky ends up learning more about gravitational pull then he ever wanted to know.

 

*

 

They eat lunch (in another Starbucks. Peter expresses more concern about the lack of drink choice in British cafes) before heading to the Natural History museum.

When they do get there, though, Bucky stops right in the entrance hall.

“You alright, Buck?” Peter asks, stepping around him and rubbing his nose. “Your back is really hard. Oh. Woooah.”   


They both stare up at the Diplodocus skeleton in shared awe.

“Children,” Hill grumbles, pushing past. Then, she too, stops and stares. The only telltale of her surprise is the long exhale of breath.

Natasha grins at them and snaps a picture.

 

*

 

Peter ends up loving the Natural History Museum just as much as the Science. Hill did too, only she expressed it in a much more lowkey way. 

Pepper brought Bucky and Peter matching dinosaur T-Shirts ([this tee](http://www.nhmshop.co.uk/white-t-rex-roar-t-shirt-for-adults.html) ) and then Wade decides he wants something matching with Peter, too, so buys him and Peter dinosaur onesies ([this onesie](http://www.nhmshop.co.uk/dinosaur-onesie-for-adults.html) ). Seeing Peter smile so much makes Bucky smile too. He makes a mental note to thank Hill for making them go out today.

 

*

 

They have a sleepy day, as Pepper calls them, the next day.

No one gets up until at least eleven, and when they do, everyone’s tired. Wade and Peter are practically joined at the hip. Natasha is on her seventh cup of coffee, and Pepper keeps drifting off on the couch.

At some point, Hill starts practising her karate in the middle of the lounge, after pushing the coffee table out the way. 

Half way through the routine, Pepper says, “Let’s do facemasks.”

“Yes,” Natasha agrees readily, “Lets.”

Hill calls for Peter, who shuffles out of his bedroom without Wade. “Where’s Wade?” Hill asks.

“Oh, he’s meeting us back in New York,” Peter says, “He jumped out the window.”

“He couldn’t have used the door?” Pepper asks. “Anyway, we’re doing facemasks. Want in?”

Peter frowns. “I’ve never done a face mask before. But sure. Life is an adventure.”

“You’ll like it,” Bucky says. “Make your skin soft.”

Natasha puts their face mask film on (Titanic), and digs out the selection of masks she and Pepper brought.

Peter chooses a strawberry one, Bucky chooses a cucumber one. Pepper chooses chocolate, Hill decides on blueberry and Natasha chooses a coconut one. Natasha does Bucky’s (having people’s hands near his face makes him twitchy. And Natasha did it last time, she knows to avoid his ears and upper lip) so Bucky does Natasha’s.

Pepper does Peter’s, accidentally smearing pink into his hair. Hill does Pepper’s, and then Natasha and Pepper join forces to apply Hill’s.

Its fun. Bucky decides maybe spending more time with the Girls wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Natasha produces a bottle of wine from somewhere, and pours glasses for everyone but Peter. “Let’s talk about boys,” she says, sipping from her wine glass.

Pepper squeals.

Peter blushes a little, “Well, you’ve all met mine.”

“Oh, yeah!” Pepper says, “We’ve been meaning to ask. What was the stuff with Yellow and White?”

Peter looks confused. “Is it not in his file? They’re like, voices in his head. He describes them as boxes, and I guess they vocalise every bad thought he has, or something. Drive him crazy. I’m the only one they listen to, actually. I can get them to shut up for a bit.”

“But why does he have them?” Hill asks.

“If any of this goes in his SHIELD file that isn’t already there, I’ll kill you,” Peter threatens. “No, I wouldn’t. I’d do the equivalent. But he got them from all the stuff he’s been through. That level of torture fucked with his mind a bit, I guess,” at all their blank looks, he frowns. “Seriously? None of you have read his file?”

“I’m not in the habit of invading the privacy of people,” Pepper says, shrugging. “But that’s terrible.”

“Good to know,” Peter says. 

“What were you talking about the other night?” Bucky asks. “Giraffes.”

“Oh!” Peter laughs. “That’s how most our conversations go, actually. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who understands them, really. That’s just Wade.”

“Crazy,” Bucky murmurs.

Peter grins.

“You two are cute, though,” Pepper says, “It reminds me of Tony and Steve sometimes.”

“Really?” Peter frowns, “Is being compared to my father figure a good thing or a bad thing?”

“I’d count it as a good thing,” Natasha says. “But she’s right. You are cute though. Not so much when he was trying to throw you onto a streetlight, because I nearly vomited up my heart.”

Peter looks vaguely surprised. “Why were you throwing up your internal organs?”

“Because Momma Spider worries for Baby Spider,” Hill explains for her. Peter blushes again.

“Of course, I would have explained it much more eloquently,” Natasha says, “But yeah. We all care about you, Peter.”

“Um. Thanks,” Peter says. “Momma Spider.”

“Never gonna let that one go, are you?” Natasha groans.

“Good,” Bucky says, “Don’t.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it. What about you, then, Pepper? Any guys catch your eye?” Peter says, smoothly switching the attention to Pepper.

“Well, there is one, I suppose,” Pepper says. She glances at Natasha, and everyone seems to miss it but Bucky. “Hill?”

“Oh, no,” Hill says, “Too busy. Too dangerous a job.”

“Fair enough,” Natasha says, “We all live jam-packed lives.”

“Got that right,” Bucky grumbles. “You got your eye on anyone, Momma Spider?”

Natasha sighs, glaring at Bucky. “I  suppose so.” She glances at Pepper, too quick for anyone but Bucky to catch and he just wants to smash their heads together. Stupid, oblivious, love sick.

“What about Clint?” Bucky asks.

“Clint?” Natasha snorts. “Never in a million years.”

Huh. Cool. “But he spends all that time staring at you.”

“He’s trying to figure out if I’m dating you,” Natasha tells him. 

“Come again?” Peter asks.

“Clint’s trying to figure out if me and Bucky are dating. That’s why he’s always staring at me,” Natasha explains.

Bucky frowns. “Why would he want to know if we were da- Oh.”

“Yeah,” Natasha says, fighting a grin.

“Oh,” Bucky repeats.

Pepper catches on, and as soon as she does, she giggles. “We should play matchmaker!”

“You should not!” Bucky exclaims, sounding horrified. He’s definitely blushing. Wasn’t even aware he could still do that.

“You’d be so cute!” Peter says. “You should tell him.”

Bucky sighs. “I will, as long as you lot promise not to meddle in my love life.”   


“Promise,” Hill says. “I barely see him, so I have to live precariously through Agent Coulson. I don’t envy him though. The shit you guys get up to.”   


“You work at SHIELD. You’ve gotta have seen some questionable stuff,” Peter says.

That just prompts Hill to start describing every weird thing she’s seen at SHIELD (more specifically, SHIELD medical), and thankfully all questions about Bucky’s love life go out the window. His brain can’t seem to let it go though.

 

*

 

The plane ride home is, thankfully, a lot quieter then the one on the way. Peter slumps against Bucky’s shoulder and sleeps the entire journey. Natasha fiddles with something on her tablet, only she’s sitting next to Pepper this time. Hill listens to music, or does so important SHIELD work, or something classified, so she’s thankfully silent. Pepper murmurs little conversation pieces at Natasha, and Bucky makes a point not to listen.

Wade is waiting at the Tower for them, and Peter smiles up at him tiredly. “Thank you, Momma Spider. I had a great time,” he says, slowly, before practically falling on top of Wade. Wade catches him in time, and with a small wave at Bucky and the others, disappears.

“Bucky!” Steve exclaims, hurrying out with Tony on his heels. “How was it?”

“Great, Steve. Really great,” Bucky says, and he’s not even lying about it.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hello and welcome to another installment of bucky and nat being bros. love it. this is officially a series now. hopefully ill have another little ficlet up soon.
> 
> so whilst writing this i discovered that they actually replaced the diplodocus in the main hall of the natural history museum with a blue whale last year. so we're pretending that dippy the diplodocus is still up, and that this fic exists in a time line of its own where i meld anything to how i want it. 
> 
> i was initially gonna make them go to paris. but then i chose london because i 1; know more about london and british stuff (surprise! i am british). and 2; paris is fun and all but i wanted to make them get matching dinosaurs tees, man.
> 
> i did also set us up for winterhawk! i dont know if thatll be endgame yet, but i am definitely leaning that way. i do really quite like that ship. but i might change my mind. i dont know. we got some established spideypool, though, because thats all i seem to be able write these days. live like kings is doing something crazy to my brain, man. i need to chill with the spideypool, i think.
> 
> i had the phone conversation with wade in my head for absolutely bloody ages, and damn does it feel good to finally write it.
> 
> ive included links to the clothing it mentioned (which i think you can actually buy. #notspon. nhm pls spon me). 
> 
> go ahead and comment if you want! i live for them.
> 
> love u xx


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